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You can pick one athlete to have an injury free career?
doubledragon
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One athlete to have an injury free career from start to finish? I'm taking Bo Jackson in the NFL, the man was unbelievable to watch run. Who you got?
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Probably not the angle you were going for, but I’d choose Tony Saunders or Dave Dravecky. We’ve all seen lots of sports injuries but I don’t recall such pain-filled and horrific reactions than when those guys broke their arms just throwing the ball. I have no “rooting” attachment to either of them, but just to spare them the physical pain and, in Tony’s case because of his comeback, the mental “will it happen again” fears. I shudder just thinking of it.
Jim
Oh DD, this is a great question and way too difficult for me to choose just one.
I would love to see Mantle having never torn his knee on that sprinkler...
also a fully healthy second half to Ken Griffey Jrs career.
and a world where Sandy Koufax didnt retire at 30
and if we could have seen Smokey Joe Wood not have that sore elbow.
I just LOVE this question.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Sterling Sharpe is another guy
I'd also go with Mantle. Although his "bad habits" may have kept him from being greater, more so than his injury.
Koufax is another good example.
In horse racing, Ron Turcotte, the rider of Secretariat, a few years later when he was in his 30's, got thrown from a horse during a race and was permanently paralyzed.
I wonder how great Don Mattingly could have been without the back injury...
Bird as well. I wish we could have gotten a fully healthy Bird in his 30's
dare I say Bobby Orr...`
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Joe Namath. Had bad knees. In baseball Herb Score and Tony Conigliaro. Both hit in the face by a baseball. Both never the same thereafter.
Nobody can't give a great argument for Bo and Mantle. Maybe the greatest athlete (bo) and quite possibly the most talented baseball player ever. My answer would be B Orr. When healthy not one could argue about him not being the greatest player. He absolutely dominated. Tony C for sure. How about Maurice Stokes. His career was over almost before it started. Terrell Davis was stopped in his prime. How about Ernie Davis. He wins the Heisman and dies soon after.
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1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
Koufax just because it would have ended the endless debates on him.
I would have liked to see it even without that. He was still bringing it in 1981 throwing batting practice to the Dodgers. I would have liked to see a universe where a healthy 45 year old Koufax had reinvented himself and was still pitching in MLB in 1981.
Me...
Would like to have seen Tiger Woods stay 100% healthy, I think he would have caught Nicklaus.
Mario Lemieux (cancer and back injury cost him significant production and possible Cups for the Pens).
Jim
Lyman Bostock (not injury but death by shooting), he was on a possible HOF trajectory.
Im sorry but I had to do it, I couldn't resist. This is my most prized creation, it is a Bo Jackson/Aaron Rodgers hybrid. This fellow isn't an athlete, he's a god.
Bo jackson since he was a monster at two sports.
Griffey Jr is likely the all time homerun leader if he stayed healthy.
Would have been very interesting to see what Josh Hamilton could have done if he didnt get hooked on drugs
Too many.
Personally, I would go with Pelle Lindbergh as I am a Flyers fan and he was a big favorite of mine.
Also Lemieux, Orr and Lindros, but only if you take away Gretzky's post-Suter back issues.
I think the debate on Koufax would only truly end if he had stayed healthy and also gotten traded to the Red Sox to see how he did in a hitters park. His home/away splits are very lopsided pitching in dodger stadium.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I thought of a few more...
Kirby puckett had he not gotten hit by that pitch.
Ted Williams had he not lost 4.5 seasons to the war
Lou Gehrig had he not come down with ALS
Eric Davis could have been the next Willie Mays had his body complied.
Mark the bird Fidrych
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
JR Richard
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
Len Bias.
His self inflicted injury (drugs) after he got drafted by the Celtics resulted in his death and thus no career at all.
Twins - Angels....that just hit me like a ton of bricks...
I have never been much of a hockey guy, but up here in NE, Cam Neely was very highly considered and I wonder what he could have done if he had not been forced into retirement at age 30 with knee and hip problems. He was a high volume goal scorer and even got 50 goals in 49 games played one season in the 90s
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I also wonder sometimes about mike bossy and if he could have broken the all time goals record? I think he retired at 30 with almost 600. seems like he could have flown by Howes mark and set it so high Gretzky couldn't have reached it.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Gayle Sayers
Great Question DD! A lot of great answers, but I agree with you regarding Bo Jackson, because he was a 2 sport player.
I totally forgot about Gayle. great choice!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I did too. I was shocked that nobody put him in the the thread
Isn't that Brian Piccolo?
Brian's song..........
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
Yep...
Without a doubt I'd go with Bo Jackson. But a side-track answer would be Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Trout to see what kind of all-time career numbers and awards he could have put up and won. And Shohei is / should be self-explanatory.
Bill Masterson.